The present invention relates to a system for filtering engine oil in an internal combustion engine. More particularly, the present invention relates to an oil filter assembly having an oil filter positioned within a filter chamber of the assembly.
It is well known to provide a replaceable oil filter that is housed within a filter chamber attached to an internal combustion engine. Typically, a bottom portion of the housing forming the chamber is permanently coupled to, or integral with, the engine block. A top portion of the housing is typically designed to detach from the bottom portion to allow the filter to be replaced when it has met its useful service life.
One problem with replacing such an oil filter is that oil can become trapped in the bottom portion of the chamber which results in an undesirable amount of oil covering the interior and exterior of the filter upon removal. This can make replacement of the filter a messy proposition. Heretofore, others have attempted to solve this problem by providing a release valve in the lower end of the bottom portion of the housing which is actuated during removal of the top portion of the housing. Prior efforts to provide a suitable relief valve have involved the use of complex biasing systems which typically utilized multiple calibrated springs mounted within the relief valve. The use of such small, highly calibrated springs and the required assembly into a tight space in the relief valve has resulted in undesirable expense in manufacture of the filter assembly.
Moreover, such prior relief valve systems required fairly precise tolerances in the dimensions of the oil filter and filter housing. This is so because the downward pressure exerted by closure of the housing onto the filter was used to provide the force necessary to overcome the upward bias of the spring mounted in the quick release valve. If adequate tolerances were not maintained and the filter was too small relative to the housing, the closure of the housing could provide insufficient force to seal the release valve. Conversely, if the filter were too large relative to the housing, the housing could fail to fully close and seal. Maintenance of such tight tolerance in the closure mechanism of the housing and filter dimensions can prove difficult for the filter manufacturer and typically leads to increased expense in the manufacture of prior filters.
Thus, there is a need for a filter assembly which has an improved quick relief system. There is also a need for a filter assembly that allows for greater dimension tolerances for replaceable filters and housings.
The present invention is directed to an oil filter assembly including a housing defining a chamber, and an oil filter positioned within the chamber. In one embodiment of the invention, a support is positioned within the chamber having at least one flexible member adapted to be coupled to the housing. The flexible support member provides a flexible mount for the filter which allows the filter manufacturer a greater variance in the dimensions of the filter and housing.
In another embodiment of the invention, an oil filter assembly is provided having a housing defining a chamber with an inlet channel opening into the chamber and an outlet channel opening into the chamber, an oil filter positioned in the chamber, a seal for the outlet channel, and a biasing element positioned between the housing and the filter and configured to bias the oil filter toward the seal. The provision of the biasing element and its position between the housing and the oil filter ensure that the filter is biased sufficiently against the seal to ensure that a reliable seal is formed. This arrangement also provides a filter assembly with greater dimensional variance in filter and housing manufacture and ensures a reliable seal of the filter within the housing.
In still another embodiment of the invention, an oil filter assembly is provided which includes a housing defining a chamber, an oil filter positioned in the chamber, a releasable channel formed in said housing in fluid communication with the chamber, a release valve positioned for releasably sealing said release channel, and a biasing element positioned between the housing and oil filter and configured to bias the oil filter within the chamber toward the closed position of the release valve.